Does it seem like you have faced problem after problem this year? In the middle of unusual circumstances, we have a chance to find glimmers of hope and focus on those things, however small, that bring us joy. Read More →
Christmas lights in London are never very stunning, yet in January Londoners and the city’s visitors are going to be dazzled. Huge areas of the city will be transformed with lighted art displays. An event called Lumiere London is taking place in the middle of January. It’s the second time this phenomenal cultural event has taken place. I would love to attend. The light displays will transform the iconic streets and buildings. It’s going to be spectacular. The art will entice people into the city when the restaurants and shops are struggling in the post-Christmas lull. For Londoners it’s a chance to take a second lookRead More →
I’ve invited my friend Janet Hines to join us for the #BeBoldGirl series this week. I met Janet when we were on the Holy Land Experience trip with Proverbs 31 Ministries. During this Christmas season, Janet reminds us that sometimes we have to let go of old ways for God to build a new life. Welcome, Janet! Change definitely owns its reputation for being difficult. The change that comes unexpectedly from nowhere. The kind we aren’t prepared for. Loss through death, divorce, and even addiction bring such change. As holidays approach, the loss grows bolder, reminding us of what no longer is. This time forRead More →
Wishing you a wonderful Christmas filled with peace, comfort and joy. Although I am taking a break from my usual blogging this week, you can find a Christmas devotional by me Finding Favor This Christmas here. Read it to find out what gave Mary the courage and confidence to serve God. Also, contemplate the words from the song Thorns in the Straw by Graham Kendrick below. We can learn from Mary’s story, and as we enter 2016 I pray you will know you are of great worth to God so you can be bold in the year ahead, just like Mary. [tagline_box link=”http://www.rachelbritton.wpengine.com/pzwchallenge” button=”Find Out More” title=”Join the Prayer Zone Workout Challenge” description=”Learn how toRead More →
I love how a Christmas tree brightens a room with its sparkling white or colored lights, and the smell of a real balsam fir. Many of us have Christmas trees in our homes this time of year, but, do you know who started this tradition? The custom of placing a tree in our homes and decorating them for the Christmas season became widespread three hundred years ago in England. Queen Victoria and her husband, Prince Albert, started the trend. Born and brought up in Germany, Albert’s family’s festivities included a decorated Christmas tree as part of their celebration. Christmas trees are a German tradition. Victoria and Albert decided to introduceRead More →
For a British person living in the States, the best deal after Thanksgiving is not a 50-inch television from Best Buy on Black Friday, but a plump, cut-price turkey from the supermarket during the weeks that follow. It may sound a little strange to get excited about purchasing a bird we have just eaten copious amounts of and may be sick of the sight of. However, we Brits like to savor slices of the white, moist meat for our Christmas Day dinner. It is a British tradition. Traditions—the passing on of customs or beliefs from generation to generation—are important. Christmas is a time to wonder, believe, andRead More →
It takes a red Starbucks cup to remind me that I have come to enjoy “the holidays”—that festive season from Thanksgiving to New Year including Christmas and Hanukkah—here in the United States. It’s mid November and the USA is gearing up. Catalogues overflow with holiday décor, while jars of chestnuts and gingerbread house kits fill the shelves in stores. Americans sure know how to celebrate this season. This year, I intend to join them. Our house will be full on with lights decorating the bushes outside, mantle swags, starlit white mock trees, a seven foot perfectly shaped real Christmas tree, and of course, aRead More →
